Danielle Hunter Sees Major Growth From One Texans O-Lineman

The Houston Texans' offensive line has been a major talking point all throughout the 2026 offseason.

That's not only because of the ups and downs that they went through across the most recent 2025 campaign, but also due to the moves that the Texans made in hopes of seeing their front trend in the right direction for the year ahead.

But while a lot of those moves to upgrade the Texans' offensive line were made via roster changes––whether it be through free agency or the draft––some of those upgrades might just come through some internal development established within their existing talent onboard.

And one guy to have seen steps forward in their development this offseason has been second-year left tackle Aireontae Ersery, considering Texans' star edge rusher Danielle Hunter has had nothing but positive things to say about the young lineman's growth during Houston's offseason program.

“Definitely a lot of improvement,” Hunter said about Ersery. “He’s able to get to his spot quicker, shoot his hands, have better positioning with his hands and his eyes. He goes out there and he tries to execute. it’s really important to him. He likes feedback. He’s definitely improved from last year.”

Aireontae Ersery Looking to Improve Drastically From Year 1

Of course, for a position as critical as a left tackle is to a strong offensive line, there's not a better candidate on the Texans' front who could use those steps forward more than Ersery.

Ersery's first year pro was far from perfect as he tried to find his groove at a tough position at the NFL level. Throughout the 16 games he played, Ersery allowed seven sacks, 11 hits, 43 pressures, and 11 penalties; all of which were stats that ranked towards the bottom of the league for eligible tackles.

Dec 21, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery (79) is introduced before playing against the Las Vegas Raiders at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But now, Ersery has taken those growing pains in stride and is looking to be an even better version of himself for his second-year campaign.

Someone like Hunter has seen that progression up close and in person since being in the same building as him for two seasons, and even Ersery himself feels like he's taking the right steps to be a high-end left tackle at the NFL level.

“Every day, I just want to strive to be the best,” Ersery said, via KPRC2's Aaron Wilson. “If you’re not doing that, then I don’t know why you’re in this profession. Every day, I try to be a leader, try to do everything the right way. Am I perfect? No, nobody’s perfect. If I do that, I feel like I’m taking the right steps in the right direction. ..

“When I get asked that question, I tell them it’s confidence. It’s also just getting my strength back because last year, it was like the longest year. When people say it’s the longest year, it really is the longest year that you probably ever have to go through.”

If Ersery can put the pieces together to improve his technique to pair with his imposing 6-foot-6, 330-pound frame, then there's a world where he, along with the other tweaks made to the Texans' offensive front, can find their way to becoming at least league average, or even better.

However, talk is cheap. And until training camp arrives later this week, we haven't been able to get a true, in-depth look at how the second-year tackle looks in full contact with pads. So now is about as good a time as ever for Ersery to put those developments on full display ahead of his age-24 campaign.

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